Adhesive applying apparatus



June 14, 1966 H. w. BOOTHROYD 3,

ADHESIVE APPLYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1963 jnvntor Ham/d 14/ fioof/vroyd By Ms fitter/16y June 14, 1966 H. w. BOOTHROYD 3,255,727

ADHESIVE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed March 21, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,255,727 ADHESIVE APPLYING APPARATUfi Harold W. Boothroyd, Wenham, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 267,011 8 Claims. (Cl. 118-7) This invention relates to adhesive applying apparatus and is herein illustrated as embodied in adhesive applying apparatus generally similar to that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,787,241, issued April 2, 1957 in the name of John S. Kelley. It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to use in this particular apparatus or to the exact mechanical construction shown.

In adhesive applying apparatus of the kind here under consideration, an applicator disk, or wheel, is rotatably mounted in a casing formed with a recess to provide an annular space surrounding a major portion of the disk which projects outwardly of the casing and molten adhesive supplied to this space is picked up on the periphery of the disk and applied to work pieces fed along, successively, past the disk. More particularly, and as shown in the Kelley patent, molten adhesive is delivered through an inlet passageway formed in the easing into a portion of the annular space adjacent to a doctor roll, provided for regulating the thickness of the layer of adhesive picked up by the applying disk. Located in another portion of the annular space, behind the doctor roll considered in the direction of rotation of the disk, is a control member, see the vane 132 of the Kelley apparatus, which operates mechanism for starting or stopping the flow of molten adhesive from the inlet passageways into the annular space in a manner which is explained in detail in the Kelley patent.

It has also been proposed, in apparatus of the type shown in the Kelley patent, to eliminate the separate melting and feeding unit, indicated generally by the reference character 10 in the Kelley patent, and instead, to utilize a pair of driven feed wheels for feeding the leading end of a solid rod of adhesive directly into an inlet passageway for-med in the casing and communicating with the annular space adjacent to the doctor roll, or equivalent member, the casing being heated so that the solid rod of adhesive is melted and pushed along through the passageways into the annular space. While such prior arrangements have been used for some time and with generally satisfactory results, they do impose some restrictions on the volumetric capacity of the apparatus and also on the temperature of the molten adhesive as applied to the work piece from the periphery of the applying disk. It is an object of this invention to provide a novel adhesive applying apparatus of this general type in which the aforementioned restrictions are greatly reduced and the operation-of the apparatus as a whole considerably improved.

With this object in view, and in accordance with features of the invention, the herein illustrated apparatus comprises a casing formed to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing, substantially fiat side walls in which an adhesive applying disk is rotatably mounted and also formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to this annular space, one of these passageways being formed in a side wall of the recess and extending circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the applying disk, in the direction of rotation of this disk, from an entrance end which is located between the disk and the mentioned side wall to a discharge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk and in a location between a metering bar, or similar means for controlling the thick- 3,255,727 Patented June 14, 1966 ness of the layer of adhesive which is picked up by the disk, and a member, such for example as a vane of the type disclosed in the Kelley patent, 'for actuating mechanism for con-trolling the delivery of molten adhesive through the mentioned passageways and into the annular space, While the other passageways are formed in the casing and are arranged to lead from an entrance end outside of the casing to the entrance end of the mentioned circumferential passageway, together with means for supplying adhesive to the last-named other passageways and thence to said circumferential passageway. Preferably, and as herein illustrated, the casing is heated and the means for supplying adhesive comprises mechanism for feeding the leading end of a solid rod of adhesive into the entrance end of the other passageways and the aforementioned circumferential passageway extends around the axis of rotation of the disk for more than 360.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will appear in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a cement applying apparatus in which features of this invention are embodied;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the principal operating elements of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, in side elevation and at an enlarged scale with certain parts broken away and others shown in section substantially on thevertical plane extending through the line II-II and looking in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 4;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing a modification; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of certain of the operating elements shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to these drawings, the cement applying apparatus therein illustrated is quite similar to the apparatus disclosed in the patent to Kelley No. 2,787,241, referred to above, and thus comprises an applicator wheel 20 which is mounted for rotation Within a heated casing 22 shapedto provide an annular space 24 surrounding a portion of the periphery of the applicator wheel, the space 24 corresponding to the annular spaces 60, 62 in the apparatus shown in the Kelley patent. Associated with the applicator wheel is-a metering bar 26 and a stringer roll 23 which function in the usual manner and like the corresponding elements 80 and 84 of the apparatus shown in the Kelley patent. Formed in the casing 22 is a straight inlet passage 30 into which the leading end of a solid rod of thermoplastic adhesive R is fed through an inlet bushing 31 by means including a pair of feed wheels 32, 34, FIG. 2. These feed wheels are driven by means including a magnetic clutch 36 and a chain 38 driven from a sprocket on a shaft 40. The applicator wheel is mounted on this shaft which is driven from a power source, not shown by a chain 42, FIG. 1. Extending radially from the space 24 is a V-shaped recess 50 in which there is located a control vane 52 formed integrally with a shaft 54, FIG. 2. This shaft extends outwardly through the casing 22 and carries at its outer end an arm 56 which rests against a roller 58 mounted in the upper end of the actuating plunger 60 of a switch 62, see also FIG. 4.

That portion of the annular space 24 which is between the metering bar 26 and the vane 52 constitutes a supply chamber, and when this supply chamber is fully filled with molten adhesive, some of the molten adhesive 3 62 to deenergize the clutch 36 and stop rotation of the feed wheels 32, 34. This action is substantially the same as that described in the mentioned Kelley patent to which reference may be made.

As the leading end of the rod R of adhesive is fed into the inlet passage 30 within the casing 22 which is heated by a suitable electrical heat unit 64, FIGS. 1 and 2, the solid rod is melted and the molten adhesive is delivered through a lateral passage 66 in the casing to one end of an arcuately shaped groove 70 formed in the side of a block '72 comprising a part of the casing which also includes two other blocks 74 and 76, FIG. 4. The annular space 24 and the notch 50 are formed in the block 74, while the block 76 constitutes, in effect, a cover plate. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the other end of the groove 70 opens directly into the supply chamber portion of the annular space 24 so that molten adhesive traveling through the passageway which is formed by the groove 70 and one side of the applicator wheel 20 will be delivered into the supply chamber. The entering solid end of the rod R in the inlet passage 30 acts somewhat the same as a piston, forcing the molten adhesive ahead of it along through the inlet passage 30, lateral passage 66 and the circumferential groove 70 and delivering it into the supply chamber.

With the improved arrangement herein illustrated, this movement of the molten adhesive is greatly facilitated by the action of the side of the rotating wheel 20 on the molten adhesive Within the groove 70. In effect, a pumping action is provided which tends to draw the molten adhesive along through the groove 70, lateral passage 66, and the inlet passage 30 at a rate substantially greater than the linear rate of feed of the solid rod R by the feed wheels 32, 34. Therefore, there is no back pressure on the molten adhesive within the inlet passage which could tend to cause the molten adhesive to work back around the solid leading end of the rod and out through the inlet bushing 31, associated with the casing 22 and the inlet passage 30. This action may be augmented by extending the length of the groove in the casing opposite to one side of the wheel, as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the casing member 72a is provided with a spiral groove 70a which extends for more than 360 from the lateral passage 66a to the end which opens into the supply chamber portion of the annular space 24a surrounding the wheel 20 adjacent to the metering bar 26a. In this view the direction of the inlet passage 30a is opposite to that of the passage 30 in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 is reversed with respect to FIG. 2. In addition to overcoming any tendency of the molten adhesive to blow back out around the solid rod through the inlet bushing, the improved arrangement also prevents leakage of molten adhesive out of the supply chamber. Accordingly, when this chamber becomes filled in the manner described above, a more positive action of the control vane is assured. Also, by causing the molten adhesive to travel a much longer path within the casing, the amount of heat which can be transmitted thereto is correspondingly increased, Thus, with this novel arrangement and particularly when the circumferentially shaped passageway extends for more than 360, see passageway 70a, FIG. 3, the temperature of the adhesive in the supply chamber and on the periphery of the wheel 20 with a given volumetric output per unit of time will be higher or conversely, with any selected temperature of the molten adhesive in the supply chamber and on the wheel, the volumetric output can be greater.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for applying adhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially flat side walls, said recess opening through oneside of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk within the casing for application to a work piece outside of the casing, means for rotating the disk in a predetermined direction, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways being a groove formed in a side Wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction, from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wall to a dischcarge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of said casing to the entrance end of the circumferential passageway, and means for supplying adhesive to said other passageways and thence to said first-named circumferential passageway.

2. Apparatus for applyingadhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially fiat side walls, said recess opening through one side of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk within the casing for application to a work piece outside of the casing, means associated with the casing for controlling the thickness of the adhesive on the periphery of the disk outside of the casing, means for rotating the disk in a predetermined direction, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways being a groove formed in a side wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction for more than 360 from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wall to a discharge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk and adjacent to said controlling means, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of said casing to the entrance end of the circumferential passageway, and means for supplying adhesive to said other passageways and thence to the first-named circumferential passageway.

3. Apparatus for applying adhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially flat side walls, said recess opening through one side of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk within the casing for application to a work piece outside of the casing, means for heating the casing, means for rotating the disk in a predetermined direction, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways being a groove formed in a side wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction for more than 360, from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wall to a discharge end in said annular space between the periphery of the disk, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of said casing to the entrance end of the circumferential passageway, and means for supplying molten adhesive to said other passageways and thence to the first-named circumferential passageway.

4. Apparatus for applying adhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially fiat side walls, said recess opening through one side of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk within the casing for application to a work piece outside of the casing, means associated with the casing for controlling the thickness of the adhesive on the periphery of the disk outside of the casing, means for heating the casing, means for rotating the disk in a predetermined direction, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways being a groove formed in a side wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction, from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wall to a discharge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk and adjacent to said controlling means, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of said casing to the entrance end of the circumferential passageway, and means for supplying molten adhesive to said other passageways and thence to the first-named circumferential passageway.

5. Apparatus for applying adhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially flat side walls, said recess opening through one side of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk within the casing for application to a work piece outside of the casing, means for heating the casing, means for rotating the disk in a predetermined direction, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways be ing a groove formed in a side wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction, from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wall to a discharge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of said casing to the entrance end of the circumferental passageway, means for supplying molten adhesive to said other passageways and thence to the first-named circumferential passageway, said last-named means comprising mechanism for feeding the leading end of a solid rod of adhesive into the entrance end of said other passageways.

6. Apparatus for applying adhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially fiat side walls, said recess opening through one side of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk within the casing for application to a outside of the casing, means for rotating the disk in apredetermined direction, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways being a groove formed in a side wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction for more than 360, from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wall to a discharge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk and adjacent to said con trolling means, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of the casing to the entrance end of the circumferential passageway, and means for supplying molten adhesive to said other passageways and thence to the firstnamed circumferential passageway, said means comprising mechanism for feeding the leading end of a solid rod of adhesive into the entrance end of said other passageways.

7. Apparatus for applying adhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially flat side walls, said recess opening through one side of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the-side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk within the casing for application to a work piece outside of the casing, means associated with the casing for controlling the thickness of the adhesive on the periphery of the disk outside of the casing, means for rotating the disk in a predetermined direction, a control member mounted in the casing and projecting into said annular space ahead of said controlling means, considered in the direction of rotation of the disk, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways being a groove formed in a side wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction, from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wall to a discharge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk and between said controlling means and said controlling member, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of said casing to the entrance end of the circumferential passageway, and means for supplying adhesive to said other passageways and thence to the first-named circumferential passageway.

8. Apparatus for applying adhesive comprising a casing shaped to provide a recess generally circular in shape and having oppositely facing substantially flat side walls, said recess opening through one side of the casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the recess with its peripheral edge projecting outwardly through said opening and with its opposite sides closely adjacent to the side walls of the recess, said recess being of larger radius than the disk to provide an annular space adjacent to a portion of the disk for receiving liquid adhesive to be picked up on the periphery of the disk Within the casing for application to a work piece outside of the casing, means for heating the casing, means associated with the casing for controlling the thickness of the adhesive on the periphery of the disk outside of the casing, means for rotating the disk in a predetermined direction, a control member mounted in the casing and projecting into said annular space ahead of said controlling means, considered in the direction of rotation of the disk, said casing being formed to provide passageways leading from the outside of the casing to said annular space, one of said passageways being a groove formed in a side wall of the recess and extending generally circumferentially around the axis of rotation of the disk, in said predetermined direction for more than 360, from an entrance end located between the disk and said side wallto a discharge end in said annular space beyond the periphery of the disk and between said controlling means and said controlling member, and the other passageways being formed in the casing and leading from an entrance end at the outside of the casing to the entrance end of the circumferential passageway, and means for supplying molten adhesive to said other passageways and thence to the first-named circumferential passageway, said means comprising mechanism for feeding the leading end of a solid rod of adhesive into the entrance end of said other passageways.

References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,210,269 12/1916 Bohaker 11;8--262 1,508,469 9/1924 Osgood 118258 x 2,318,600 5/1943 Dixon 118 249 2,787,241 4/1957 Kelley 118-202X 10 2,824,541 2/1958 Paulsen 118202 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

LEON G, MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE COMPRISING A CASING SHAPED TO PROVIDE A RECESS GENERALLY CICULAR IN SHAPE AND HAVING OPPOSITELY FACING SUBSTANTIALLLY FLAT SIDE WALLS, SAID RECESS OPENING THROUGH ONE SIDE OF THECASING, A DISK ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE RECESS WITH ITS PERIPHERAL EDGE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENING AND WITH ITS OPPOSITE SIDES CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE SIDE WALLS OF THE RECESS, SAID RECESS BEING OF LARGER RADIUS THAN THE DISK TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR SPACE ADJACENT TO A PORTION OF THE DISK FOR RECEIVING LIQUID ADHESIVE TO BE PICKED UP ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISK WITHIN THE CASING FOR APPLICATION TO A WORK PIECE OUTSIDE OF THE CASING, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE DISK IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, SAID CASING BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE PASSAGEWAYS LEADING FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CASING TO SAID ANNULAR SPACE, ONE OF SAID PASSAGEWAYS BEING A GROOVE FORMED IN A SIDE WALL OF THE RECESS AND EXTENDING GENERALLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE DISK, IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION, FROM AN ENTRANCE END LOCATED BETWEEN THE DISK AND SAID SIDE WALL TO A DISCHARGE END IN SAID ANNULAR SPACE BEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISK, AND THE OTHER PASSAGEWAYS BEING FORMED IN THE CASING AND LEADING FROM AN ENTRANCE END AT THE OUTSIDE OF SAID CASING TO THE ENTRANCE END OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL PASSAGEWAY, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ADHESIVE TO SAID OTHER PASSAGEWAYS AND THENCE TO SAID FIRST-NAMED CIRCUMFERENTIAL PASSAGEWAY. 